Independent Living Program - Florida's Center for Child Welfare

F610063. GeneralThe Parties acknowledge that the well-being of children, youth and youngadults across child and youth serving systems and the progress of the youthin appropriate educational and career/technical (vocational) programsrequires a commitment of the Parties to work together. Further, stability withinthe educational setting and educational progress, including progress towardpost-secondary education, and employability skills through either vocationalor post-secondary education are important to the youth served by all partiesto this agreement. The Parties consequently agree to the following:a. DOE is the State Education Agency (“SEA”) for the Individuals withDisabilities Education Act (“IDEA”) and an administrative entity forSection 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and must fulfill itsobligations for educationally relevant services to children and youthwith disabilities that interfere with their learning or inhibit their access tothe education environment before, during and after the ages ofcompulsory school attendance. Pursuant to IDEA, some students withdisabilities are eligible to attend school up to age 22; andb. DCF is the state agency to provide, either directly or throughcontracted Community Based Care providers, child welfare servicesunder Florida Statutes and Administrative Rules; andc. Section 39.0016(2), Florida Statutes, requires DCF to enter into anagreement with DOE regarding the education and related care ofchildren known to the department; section 39.0016(2), Florida Statutes,also requires DCF to enter into local agreements with district schoolboards or other local education entities regarding children known to thedepartment who are of school age and children known to thedepartment who are younger than school age but who would otherwisequalify for services from the district school board; andd. AWI is the state agency responsible for job training andemployment services and functions as the grant recipient of federalworkforce funds and administrative entity for Workforce Florida, Inc.The youth subject to this agreement will receive a priority status inservices by AWI; ande. AWI’s Office of Early Learning (OEL) is the lead agency chargedwith administering Florida’s early childhood education system. OELpartners with DOE and DCF to provide a comprehensive earlychildhood education system. The system is composed of three primaryprograms:7-13-09 2